With so much of our life now online or spent using apps, it may come as no surprise that many banks and financial services are now placing more of a focus on mobile banking .

But there’s more to mobiles than just banking, with plenty of apps available to help with other financial matters – from budgeting to investing!

We take a look at some of the ways in which you can manage your money from your mobile .

Budgeting

Budgeting is a key concern for many families, especially those who often find themselves having to stretch their pennies to cover the month.

There are many free budgeting apps available that can help you to identify areas where your spending could be reduced.

Many such apps can be directly connected to your bank , meaning you don’t have to manually transfer your outgoings to the app.

Budgeting apps can also collate the balance available across all of your accounts, allowing you to see your total available funds in one convenient place.

Budget planners can be used to set goals and work out ways to reduce spending based on previous purchases.

Budgeting Apps

If you want to try out a budgeting app, then there are a huge number available, including:

Money Dashboard

- View all current accounts, savings accounts and credit cards in one place.

- Create specific financial goals.

- Notifications if overspending occurs.

- Helps to plan and predict future budgets.

Wally

- Manually input your spending, so the app doesn’t need access to your bank account if you’re wary of security risks.

- Gain insights into spending and set targets.

- Set weekly or monthly budgets.

- Create groups to manage joint accounts.

Emma

- Track accounts in one place and set budgets.

- Track and cancel unused subscriptions.

- Sync your budget with payday.

- Weekly reports on your spending.

Saving

Once you’ve got your budget sorted, you’ll hopefully have a bit of money left over each month to squirrel away!

Whether you’re saving for a specific goal or want a little security for a rainy day, many would welcome help growing their savings.

Some apps will highlight amounts that you could feasibly pop into a savings account each month, whereas others will actually transfer the money into savings for you.

Savings Apps

If you want to try out a savings app, then there are a huge number available, including:

Chip

- Calculates how much money you can afford to save and puts it aside for you.

- Only moves money when you can afford to.

Cleo

- Targeted at younger audiences, making money management fun through an AI-based chat that communicates like a real friend.

- Helps to set aside cash after budgeting.

- Blog offers tips and advice.

- Opportunities to win cash through quizzes and games.

Oval Money

- Offers analysis of spending.

- Automatically saves money.

- Can set up money saving as a reaction to behaviours – for example, it might put £1 in your savings account every time you post to Facebook.

Investing

Once you’ve got your budget and savings down, then it may be time to grow your money further . One way to do this is through investments.

There are a few options here – apps that can allow you to track your stocks and shares constantly or apps that help you invest without you even having to think about it!

Investing Apps

Moneybox

- The perfect app for those who know little about the world of investments.

- Rounds up spending to the nearest pound and invests that money into a stocks and shares ISA.

- For example, if you spend £1.60 on a drink, it will round that up to £2 and put the additional 40 pence into the ISA.

- Money is covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, making it less risky.

Wealthify

- Money investment app.

- Create a personal investment plan.

- Great support in choosing investments.

- No charges for taking your money out.

All of these apps are available on most smartphones (Apple or Android). If you would like to give mobile banking and money management apps a go, but don’t have a suitable device, then you can check out our range of second-hand phones, including reconditioned Samsung phones .

By choosing a second-hand phone, you’ll be cutting the costs considerably when compared with purchasing a new device, leaving you with a bit more for your savings pot!